The Awakening
by LettuceNPudding
Summary: What happens when you're enemy is the new ruler of all Hell? THat's right! You're screwed! JOINT: LettuceNPudding and Firedraike08


**Hikari: HI ALL!!!!**

**Firedraike08:...hey? – waves tentatively-  
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Hikari: This is our new story!!!!  
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Fd: Me'n Hikari are writing it together, and I can't remember why but yeah XD.  
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Hikari: We were bored! That's why! Remember! Bored and our minds were Kenshin-filled!  
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**Fd: No, and that's the scary thing.  
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**Hikari: -runs around- I remembered something!!!  
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**Fd: She found the sugar...the universe is doomed! -hides in bomb shelter-. Darkness Rising  
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**Hikari: It's not doomed...  
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**Fd: Not yet.  
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**Hikari: Exactly!  
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**Fd: -sweat drop-. Anyway, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: Not ours.**

**The Awakening **

* * *

A shifting sea of bodies stretched in all directions, light glinting off spiked and warped armour, as two armies faced off on an alien landscape. At some unspoken signal, the two sides clashed with an ear splitting roar, metal screeching against metal in a fight for supremacy.

In the centre two figures battled in a deadly dance, swords flashing in and out so fast the blades blurred into silver streaks in the darkness. Each attack, each parry, was completely calculated, there was no room for error as the stakes were all or nothing; the winner the ruler of hell, and the loser condemned to limbo for all eternity.

Red eyes gleaming malevolently in the darkness, the former mortal known as Shishio Makoto watched the demon before him with cold amusement. Smirking, he unleashed a burst of speed, as he dodged his opponents final thrust, twisting his body away from the blade even as he drove his own forward to pierce its chest and darting to the side and backwards to avoid its last desperate swing. A sudden hush surrounded the two lords, as each and every being stopped, frozen in time to watch as the demon gave a last gurgling shriek, its lungs filling with blood, and then it burst into ashes.

The demon's blood slowly dripped from the blade of his katana and Shishio watched with cold indifference, before flicking it in a practiced way that scattered the remaining droplets. Sheathing his sword, he heard a thundering cry, and turned as each and every demon and former mortal alike, knelt in a wave of movement, baying a mantra,

"Hail, Lord Shishio, supreme ruler! In your darkness, we thrive! In your strength, we are victorious! In your name, we conquer! We live only to serve!"

Raising his hands as dark power billowed around him like a cloak, Shishio smirked again. Supreme Ruler, eh? Well, if victory was sweet, he couldn't wait to taste revenge.

* * *

The fires of hell flickered eerily, casting a wavering light through out the room. Shishio sat down comfortably on the throne made of pitted volcanic rock and fixed his gaze onto Houji who knelt before him.

"Lord Shishio," Houji's voice broke the silence, "after establishing your dominion over hell, what do we do next?" A smirk was visible on the bandaged face as Shishio replied,

"Simple Houji; we expand my rule to the mortals above on earth…and finish Himura and the others once and for all."

"So…_Master_ Shishio," Usui's voice interjected from the shadows, full of scorn, "_How_ are you going to expand your rule? Have you succeeded in finding a way to enter the mortal realms?" Red eyes glinted in the semi-darkness,

"Usui, have you ever heard of the Balance?"

* * *

"Millennia ago, the mortal realms were plagued by five beings," the voice lacked no volume or clarity despite the fact the body it emerged from was old and bent from age. A small crowd gathered around the old man as he continued to tell his tale to anyone who would listen. "Known as the demon lords they controlled the land. Ruthless, and with inhuman fighting abilities, their cruelty and thirst for blood knew no bounds. Said to be virtually invincible, no weapon could touch them, and so they ruled, all powerful until, so the legends say, five celestial warriors created what was know as the balance. The five bound each of these beings to a separate point of the land with one of the five elements they were each gifted with; Water, Earth, Fire, Air and Ether. The f-" He was suddenly interrupted by a loud crash coming from near the Akabeko and shouting.

"OW! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"

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**The crowds gaze immediately turned to the noise. The old man pouted as he hobbled over to the unusual group.He blinked, stopped dead in his tracks and then pointing a shaking finger at a short redhead who was apparently trying to calm a furious young woman, "YOU!" he cried.

The redhead paused and slowly turned his head to the short old man. "Oro?"

"YOU!"

Finally seeming to register the fact that everyone was now staring at them, the other three in the group who had been continuing to yell at each other, paused and blinked, turning to face the old man. The tallest of the group, shifted uncomfortably under the older mans stare, before leaning forward and asking the redhead,

"Kenshin…why is there an old guy staring at us?" In a flash, a cane made contact with Sanosuke's forehead.

"Whippersnapper! I'm not old! I'm…I'm just experienced!" Sano yelped and clutched his abused head,

"Hey!"

The old man hit him again, and Sanosuke cried out as he tried to defend his head from the many blows of the cane. "Why are you hitting me!?"

The old man smirked, "It's fun. And the injured expression on your face is priceless." The young woman smiled,

"I like him." Kenshin nodded at her, folding his arms,

"He is certainly violent like you Miss Kaoru, that he is." Kaoru blinked then turned to glare at Kenshin,

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" Kenshin cowered slightly under Kaoru's glare,

"Um..."

"He said you were violent Ugly! And you're obviously deaf too!" Exclaimed Yahiko. He yelped as his head was introduced to the old man's cane,

"Is that anyway to treat a pretty lady!?" Kaoru blushed madly as she proclaimed,

"I_ really_ like him. Someone finally realises that I am the rose of martial arts!" Yahiko rolled his eyes.

"A dead rose more like it." He yelled as both Kaoru and the old man whacked him.

"Show some respect for your elders shrimp!" Yahiko retorted,

"Hey! I'm the next generation you old geezer!" The old man sighed mournfully,

"And to think the fate of tomorrow is partly dependant on you..." He paused, and in the momentary silence that followed his remark said in a theatrical voice, that was if possible even louder, "Yes! The fate of tomorrow is dependant of the four of you and one other!" Said four looked at him uneasily.

"Does he bite?" Asked Sano. Momentarily speechless at their lack of reaction to his proclamation, he cried out,

"DON'T YOU REALISE HOW IMPORTANT YOU ARE TO THE FUTURE OF THIS WORLD?!" Without hesitation Yahiko replied,

"No." The old man sighed,

"The stupidity of today's young, is boundless. Let me put this in simple words: Something evil is going to come and try and upset the balance of this world and unleash the Demon Lords. Five of you," he gestured to the four, "who each possess one of the five elements are the only chance this world has of surviving it!"

It was unanimously decided then and there, that each of the four had had enough of the senile old man. Smiling and nodding, they backed away slowly, careful to avoid direct eye contact and any sudden movements. Enraged at their reaction he cried out shaking his cane at them,

"So that's it! You all think I'm crazy do you!?! Just you wait! It'll happen!"

Really nervous now, the group backed away faster, and the crowd began to subtly vacate the area. The old man, much to their alarm began to shuffle after them, still yelling, when suddenly he froze, eyes rolling back into his head, and the tone of his voice changed, freezing them and engraving each of his words into their minds.

_"When the darkness seeks to walk this world, the five will be called. The devil that rises will seek revenge, and unleash the Demon Lords. When each Demon Lord is released, the moon will be stained blood red; the only thing that will serve to warn of the disasters that lie ahead:_

_The one sealed by ether will make the air howl and shred._

_The one bound by air will bring illusions and deception._

_The one sealed by earth - floods and destruction._

_The one bound by fire will make the earth quake._

_And the one trapped by water will make fires rage._

"_To save this world, from that which lies below, the five must restore the balance. But to banish the darkness, heed this warning: the last evil lies within."_

His words came to an abrupt halt freeing the four from its spell. They turned to hurry away, and Sano paused to holler over his shoulder,

"That's nice old geezer! Hope we don't meet again!"

* * *

The new day dawned, the rising sun turning the sky blood red. Blood. I had been denied it, for so very long. Ah, this had to be the cruellest of fates. I looked around slowly from within the walls of my prison, and then stared hungrily out at the pristine world beyond; at the life that pulsed so tantalisingly, just beyond my grasp, mocking me. It was so close I could almost touch it… and yet… I snarled fangs beared, wings beating to smash into the invisible walls that contained me.

So…

Close…

How I longed to utterly destroy that world beyond, to feed off the life I could feel pulsing just beyond the walls…I lusted for the terror; the feeling of power that would flood me… But I was denied this pleasure, my birth right, by those who bound me and my brethren.

_Bound us…_

_Denied us…_

_Forced us into a centuries long fasting…_

Once again, I relived my memories of a time when I was worshipped like a god, the lives of thousands laid at my feet. A glorious age, when blood flowed from our citadels in rivers and none could oppose us. But all this was lost; lost, when they imprisoned me and my brethren. We watched as our citadels crumbled, to be forgotten along with our memory. They continued to live on, the mortals. Only now, now they were oblivious to their silent watchers… It was then that the voice first spoke to me. The cold voice; the voice full of malice and power… Such power…

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**Hikari: OMG REVIEW!  
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**Fd: Better do as she says. It's a health hazard to go against a prankster...  
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**Hikari: I'm an angel 0 : )  
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**Fd: Sure...**


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